Photo: Palestine Action
Members of Palestine Action – a network formed last week to raise awareness about the Palestinian struggle – stormed the central London office of Israel’s biggest private arms company to protest and highlight Britain’s complicit role in the Israeli apartheid.
“We are tired of being ignored.” said the group.
One of the activists told British newspaper Morning Star, “The UK has been complicit in the colonization of Palestine for over 100 years. Now the UK is home to […] a firm which markets their weapons as battle-tested because they are tested on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
“Direct action and civil disobedience have been historically key components in anti-racism and other struggles,” said another member of Palestine Action. . We're asking people to do more to take action against the 72-year oppression of the Palestinian people.”
The heavily-disputed Elbit Systems supplies 85 per cent of the Israeli army’s drones which are abundantly found throughout the Gaza Strip. These drones are used for surveillance, targeted assignations and wide-ranging destruction, according to Corporate Watch. Despite the firm’s direct impact on the Palestinian population, Britain currently houses ten Elbit offices and four arms factories.
Other groups have previously shut down Elbit sites in Kent and Oldham but Palestine Action commented, “despite attempts to expose the collusion of these companies, these actions have been met with silence.” The group called on people to take action against the continued oppression of the Palestinian people.
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